Rather than reboot the Men in Black film series following 2012's Men in Black 3, Sony Pictures opted to keep the next movie in the franchise set in the same continuity, just like how Universal spun Jurassic World out of the Jurassic Park trilogy. So in the Men in Black spinoff, Agent J and K's exploits all happened in the past, but until today, only new characters had been announced for the upcoming movie. However, it's now being reported that at least one familiar face will be present, as Emma Thompson is reprising Agent O.
Agent O was introduced in Men in Black 3 as the new chief of the Men in Black organization following Agent Zed's (Rip Torn) passing. After the timeline was changed by Boris the Animal, O was able to deduce from Will Smith's Agent J, who was the only person who retained memories of the original timeline, that there were temporal shenanigans afoot, and she pointed him in the right direction on how to go back in time to fix everything. While in 1969, J also encountered O's younger self, who was played by Alice Eve. Since specific plot details for Men in Black spinoff are still being kept under wraps, THR didn't provide any information on how O will fit into the movie, but presumably she's still the head honcho at MIB. Well, stateside at least, as Liam Neeson is reportedly playing the leader of MIB's U.K. division.
Since Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones' time with the Men in Black franchise appears to be over (though perhaps that will change someday), Agent O makes the most sense to bring back for this spinoff (though I'm still crossing my fingers that the worm guys return). Assuming she's still leading MIB, then she's the best connective thread between the original trilogy and this new adventure, similar to how Dr. Henry Wu was used in Jurassic World. Emma Thompson's recent cinematic credits include Beauty and the Beast, The Meyerowitz Stories and The Children Act, while her other upcoming appearances include Johnny English Strikes Again, The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle and Late Night.
Along with the previously mentioned actors, the Men in Black spinoff stars Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rafe Spall and Les Twins, a.k.a. Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois. The Fate of the Furious' F. Gary Gray is directing the spinoff, which is said to be more global in scale than its predecessors, and Iron Man duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway penned the script.
The Men in Black spinoff will be released in theaters on June 14, 2019, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on its progress. in the meantime, don't forget to look through our 2018 release schedule to find out what movies are coming out later this year.
